Not Always Happily Ever After
by Akatsuki Child
Summary: Sometimes, things didn't work out. Sometimes, they couldn't handle it. They weren't always perfect. Collection of angst one-shots.
1. Not Always Happily Ever After

**A little fic I whipped up about how Percabeth isn't always cheery. Sure, I'm a sucker for the cliche, happily ever afters, but it's not always that way. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

**Not Always Happily Ever After**

Sometimes things fell apart.

They weren't perfect, obviously. They fought so much, it annoyed everyone at Camp: their friends, their family…_everyone._ Of course, their first thought was '_Oh, they belong together!'_ And, maybe, they were right. Maybe, for those first few months, they had hit the nail on the head. When they got together, they both floated on Cloud Nine. They were stuck on this high for months before their first fight as a couple. After that, they returned to Earth off their high, knowing that they could just as easily split as they had gotten together.

So yes, they were together for quite a while. And so, everyone had been right.

For a while.

When the couple went off on their own, living in their own apartment, providing for themselves, they had been so busy with other matters that they had barely had time for each other. When they _did_ finally have time to just talk and not worry about something else, it was like they barely knew each other anymore.

And then, things started falling apart.

She would snap at him for something ridiculous, he would yell at her in retaliation, they would end up fighting, and he would usually sleep on the couch. Sometimes they made up, but their alliance never lasted for very long. Before you knew it, they were fighting again.

They would move around the house, ignoring each other, doing their own business. When they were required to talk to each other, they spoke through clenched teeth and fisted hands. They had to bite their tongues if the other lashed out so they wouldn't say something stupid and make matters worse, but they weren't always successful. Sometimes they realized that they had to practice their temperance.

And maybe that was what was so ridiculous about them. How could it be possible that they were meant for each other? Their tempers were horrible! Yeah, sure, they could be as cool as a cucumber, but it usually ended up being the calm before the storm. She with her impatience and smarts, he with his high defenses and quick mind to retaliate…it was a recipe for a disaster.

They usually did pretty good though. There were so many times that, during their long-ass fights, he just wanted to get up, pack his bags, and leave. And she…she wanted to kick him out _so badly._ She may have loved him, but she also hated him for the trivial things, and she paid close attention to the details.

However, neither did anything of the sorts. They wanted to _try_. They _did_ love each other, and they _did _want to be together. They wanted to make it work, because maybe all those people_ were_ right. Maybe they were actually meant for each other, like two pieces of the puzzle. So what if they squabbled every other day? Who didn't?

But it went deeper than that. Their fights weren't just about major things. They were about stupid, ridiculous things too that, when looked at from an outsider, were so inconsequential it would make anyone laugh at their stupidity. But to them, it was just as important.

They were two stubborn people. They didn't want to back down, from the fights or from the relationship. But when things got out of hand, when it came down to the last straw…they needed to be away from each other, and they were willing to split.

Not everything was a happily ever after, and Percy…he just couldn't handle it anymore.

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**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	2. Grenade

**This was going to be a different story, but I thought it was too short and too drabbly to be a separate story. Instead, I put it in here, so I think this is going to turn into a collection angsty one-shots. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

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**Grenade**

Another fight.

Why did they keep coming? They were always bickering about something, petty or not. It's almost like they were _trying_ to find a reason to fight. They had almost become addicted to it, the thrill of screaming at each other and trying to win the debate.

But now, Percy was sick of it. He was tired of having to battle her every thought, tired of battling a child of Athena, because it wasn't worth it and ninety percent of the time, he lost anyway. He could've left her. He could've left to get away from all the hurt. But the adrenaline rush was his drug.

Percy sat staring at Annabeth, who was breathing hard after their fight. She was glaring at him coldly. Where had their love gone? It was there, somewhere, buried deep. But maybe…it was gone. They couldn't tell. They were just lying to themselves and convincing themselves that it _was _there. No one could be too sure.

He continued to study her. His stance was rigid, his jaw locked tight. He was standing near the door, half turned towards it and half turned towards her. He realized, during this last fight, that hehad loved her, maybe even still.

He would've done anything for her. He would have taken on a thousand monsters and Kronos by himself to save her. He would have taken a dagger to the heart, or faced up to her mom for her because he _did_ care for her. He had started caring for ever since their first quest together when they were twelve. He had always felt attracted to her and overprotective of her. He knew she could adequately take care of herself, but he felt that he _needed_ to watch over her.

He _did_ love her.

But, staring at her and her cold, gray eyes, he could see that her love for him had died. Maybe the fighting was becoming too much and it was consuming their relationship. Maybe she was getting tired of his addiction to their drug. It was very likely.

Still, he wanted to make this work. Oh, _gods_ did he want this to work. Unfortunately, he didn't need a prophecy from Rachel or Apollo to know that it wouldn't work. Not anymore, no matter how hard he worked and begged for forgiveness. They were over with.

Like all drugs, this was consuming him to the lowest point. He had hit rock bottom.

He blinked, noticing the tear streaks on Annabeth's face.

"So," she spat bitterly, breaking the terribly tense silence between them, "is this it? After everything…" She choked and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Is this it?"

She was practically begging.

Percy hung his head, shaking his head slightly.

"You know, I'd do anything for you," he said softly. "I'd _die_ for you, Annabeth. I would do _anything_ for you. And you obviously want me to leave. We both know this isn't working."

He looked up at her again and turned towards the door. He grabbed the handle, all intentions on opening that door and walking out, leaving his drug behind. However, he stopped.

"I'd go through all this pain, all this hurt, just to be with you because I care about you. But…" He licked his lips, shaking his head angrily. "You won't do the same."

She opened her eyes, looking at him. He could see that he was right, and it broke his heart. He just blinked and turned. He opened the door and walked out, leaving his addiction behind.

Things could only get better from here. At least, that's what he hoped.

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**I hope you caught the Grenade reference. I hoped you enjoyed it. It was just a random drabble about some emotions I'm feeling. **

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	3. Unspoken Words

**Just something that I thought of while reading another fic today. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

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**Unspoken Words**

Words spoken to dig through someone's skin hurt terribly.

When she insulted him, she did it to get a rise out of him. She wanted him to feel pain, like needles pricking his skin. Whenever she called him an idiot, or yelled at him for leaving a mess, she wanted him to feel the words cutting him.

He knew what she was doing. He had figured it out after their many arguments and how much she insulted him. He realized that she was trying to get him to hurt because she was just that masochistic.

He would fire back at her sometimes, if he was in the mood for a good fight. He hoped that his words dug under her skin and burned her. He wanted her to suffer with an itch she couldn't scratch. He wanted her to squirm with discomfort at the fact that when he said his words, he meant them.

But then, there were the times when he had enough, when he wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted her pricking to end.

She would insult him, and he would remain silent. He would stare her down, waiting for her to end. She would glare at him, waiting for his retort that would undoubtedly crawl into her bloodstream, forever remaining their until they decided to make up.

But, he would say nothing. He would simply shake his head at her and turn away. He keep quiet and walk away.

Words unspoken to stab like a dagger to the heart…they hurt the worst.

It was funny how it worked that way. She could call him a dumbass one day, and then the next they would forget about it and make up. But if they fought and he said nothing, she found it hard to face him and their tense silence encompassed them for days on end.

Actions speak louder than words…but unspoken words are deadly.

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**So I have decided to make these into angsty one-shots. They'll all be relatively short. I haven't written anything for a while, and today it just hit me to start writing. **

**I'm still working on Only A Dream but progress is slow. I'm also working on a new story for a special friend of mine that will be coming out shortly. **

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	4. Miserable at Best

**Just a little refresher of the reasons why Percy loves Annabeth. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

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**Miserable at Best**

Percy loved Annabeth.

Despite their many arguments, he loved her with all his soul, all his heart. He could never love someone as much as he loved her. She was his one and only, no matter how many times they fought about petty things.

To him, she was his world. It seemed like, to outsiders, they were fighting because they were falling out of love. But that wasn't true. They could never stop loving each other even though they battled like cats and dogs. They fought because it was a way to get their frustrations out. What was love without some difficulties?

He loved her golden locks, her gray stormy eyes, her soft skin, the smell of her shampoo. He loved the fact that she only liked her eggs sunny-side up. He loved that she was an architect. He loved everything about her.

She was his reason for living. She brought light into his day whenever he was feeling down. Annabeth was one of a kind, and to Percy, she was perfect.

While their relationship was bumpy at times, he was always reminded of the beauty of their love whenever he woke up next to her the next morning. He would see her tangled in the sheets, pressed up against him in one of his shirts and her shorts. Her lips were always slightly parted, breathing softly on him. Her golden hair tickled his chin, but he didn't mind. In fact, he loved it. It was the small details he appreciated about her. He loved that when the sun cast a ray down on her, her face glowed bright.

Without her, life would be horrible. It would be meaningless, and quite boring. He would miss their fights, but even more so he would miss the tender moments they shared, like whenever her lips planted softly on his and he was flying, butterflies erupting in his stomach. He would miss the shivers and goosebumps he would receive from her touch.

Without Annabeth, he wouldn't know how to live. Without her, he'd be miserable at best.

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**This was inspired by Miserable at Best by Mayday Parade. Great band. Great song. Listen to it if you want to get the full effect of this little drabble.**

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


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